Andrew Dillon flags interest in bringing back State of Origin

[Bostonian]

You do know that West Coast and Fremantle have a lot of players from states other than Western Australia don't you, and there are plenty of Western Australians in the other 16 clubs as well?

You literally just proved why it's such a lame concept.

So West Coast players from other states are tight with their club team mates. Then you want them to go play with a bunch of other players they have no history or club culture with all the while potentially injuring one of their own teammates in the opposition side in a nothing game.

Brilliant concept.

 

[Dan26]

Better not be that bullshit Victoria vs everyone else format

It would have to be. There is no other way to have one match featuring all the best players. The reason it was done back in 2008 - which was the 150th anniversary of the sport - was because Victoria produces 48% of the players and every other state combined produces 52% of the players, so you are able to have ONE match will all the best players.

That's one of the reasons State of Origin works in Rugby League. It doubles as an all-star game because all the best players (bar a handful of internationals) can be picked amongst two teams. Not four teams or more like we have done in Aussie Rules.

State of Origin only works when Victoria is playing because everybody hates them and wants to beat them. They tried SA vs WA at Football Park back in the day and the crowd was under 20,000.

The match back in 2008 drew nearly 70,000 and was the highest rating TV match of the year outside of the Grand Final. More people watched the match in South Australia than any single game featuting the Crows or the Power.

"The Hall of Fame Tribute Match was held at the MCG and saw 50of the AFL’s best players playing for Victoria and a Dream Team in front of 69,294 spectators and attracted a television audience of about 1.7 million people."

2008 AFL TV Ratings - Sports Industry AU

The following is sourced from the 2008 AFL Annual Report The 2008 Toyota AFL Premiership season was the second under the current domestic broadcast rights agreement. The AFL consolidated the relationships with its television broadcast partners, the Seven Network, Network Ten and Foxtel and...

www.footyindustry.com

 

[RUNVS]

You literally just proved why it's such a lame concept.

So West Coast players from other states are tight with their club team mates. Then you want them to go play with a bunch of other players they have no history or club culture with all the while potentially injuring one of their own teammates in the opposition side in a nothing game.

Brilliant concept.

So I guess the U18 Championship format is terrible. Also any international team should be disbanded too since the players don't know those teammates quite as well as they do their club teammates.

 

[Bostonian]

So I guess the U18 Championship format is terrible. Also any international team should be disbanded too since the players don't know those teammates quite as well as they do their club teammates.

The U18 comp is simply there to show case talent and prepare players for the next step up.

The international team concept is shit.

 

[The 747]

Not to mention the usual club concerns about their players being injured, but I notice the clubs don't complain about this in the RL version.

They are the biggest (and most money-making) games on the NRL calendar and it is built into the culture of that game.

The AFL could do something to incentivise the clubs to contribute players but that would require creative and original thoughts (or checking BigFooty) and the AFL is not exactly good at that sort of thing.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

If they did bring it back, it can only work with Vic v SA and WA. It only worked in the 70s and 80s because the Croweaters and Sandgropers hated the Vics.

What do you mean 'hated'?

Nothings changed.

 

[RUNVS]

The U18 comp is simply there to show case talent and prepare players for the next step up.

The international team concept is shit.

Guess you will need to tell that to all the soccer, rugby, cricket, rugby league, basketball and a host of other sports fans.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Vic v Rest of the World every 29 Feb, that's it

 

[Bostonian]

Guess you will need to tell that to all the soccer, rugby, cricket, rugby league, basketball and a host of other sports fans.

I will.

All inferior sports to AFL.

 

[RUNVS]

I will.

All inferior sports to AFL.

All of which show the best versions of their own sports, something the AFL does not do.

 

[Bostonian]

All of which show the best versions of their own sports, something the AFL does not do.

And we do not suffer one single bit as a league for that.

 

[The_Reaper]

A carnival every four years would be great.
Keeps it rare enough that players will want to take part and fans won’t be bored

 

[glengowan]

It would have to be. There is no other way to have one match featuring all the best players. The reason it was done back in 2008 - which was the 150th anniversary of the sport - was because Victoria produces 48% of the players and every other state combined produces 52% of the players, so you are able to have ONE match will all the best players.

That's one of the reasons State of Origin works in Rugby League. It doubles as an all-star game because all the best players (bar a handful of internationals) can be picked amongst two teams. Not four teams or more like we have done in Aussie Rules.

State of Origin only works when Victoria is playing because everybody hates them and wants to beat them. They tried SA vs WA at Football Park back in the day and the crowd was under 20,000.

The match back in 2008 drew nearly 70,000 and was the highest rating TV match of the year outside of the Grand Final. More people watched the match in South Australia than any single game featuting the Crows or the Power.

"The Hall of Fame Tribute Match was held at the MCG and saw 50of the AFL’s best players playing for Victoria and a Dream Team in front of 69,294 spectators and attracted a television audience of about 1.7 million people."

2008 AFL TV Ratings - Sports Industry AU

The following is sourced from the 2008 AFL Annual Report The 2008 Toyota AFL Premiership season was the second under the current domestic broadcast rights agreement. The AFL consolidated the relationships with its television broadcast partners, the Seven Network, Network Ten and Foxtel and...

www.footyindustry.com

Split the two teams either side of the Great Dividing Range. If having two teams, it is the most significant geographical and cultural divide in Australia.

One weekend (early in the season) each year to see the best play the best. Green representing the lush lands on the coastal side of the Divide and Gold representing the arid lands inland. In terms of general population, the Green team would be Goliath, with the big cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and all those cities along the east coast teaming up against much of Vic/NSW/QLD Inland Country combined with the states of SA/WA and TAS. The actual AFL playing population for each team would be about 50/50.

Victoria vs the Rest leaves a bad taste in the mouth of everyone except the Victorians and further highlights the Vic centric nature of the AFL.

I do like the idea of representative football. With 18, and soon to be 19 teams and no national representation, we don't get to see the best version of our game played with the very best players in the country.

 

[Philhawk]

I think people underestimate just how good for the sport it would be in NSW and QLD to have AFL State of Origin. NRL can't have a Victorian State of Origin team but the AFL can not only have NSW and QLD State of Origin teams, but good ones too. The AFL can prove with State of Origin that it isn't just a Victorian sport, but it is a national sport.

I hear what you’re trying to say, but the sheer care factor from both a Qld and NSW audience would be incredibly low.

The only way I could see it working is if you play at smaller, rural grounds in the early years.

 

[RUNVS]

I hear what you’re trying to say, but the sheer care factor from both a Qld and NSW audience would be incredibly low.

The only way I could see it working is if you play at smaller, rural grounds in the early years.

See I don't agree. I think with the right marketting you could sell out the SCG or Gabba.

 

[Cookie]

If Bont does an ACL in SOO, I'll sue the AFL for my pain and suffering.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

the regular season fixture is a complete shit show. Teams are having 2 byes before others even have 1.

they need to fix that before they bother with origin, cause no one thinks they wont **** it up

 

[Philhawk]

See I don't agree. I think with the right marketting you could sell out the SCG or Gabba.

I think we both live in Syd and know how fickle NSW sports fans are with live sports.

It took the Swans 20 years to create the cultural change to get them to their current amazing point. Queensland teams are still 10 years behind where the Swans are and GWS is prob another 5 years behind.

Build a carnival atmosphere and sell out at a 10k Wagga stadium as a test and then who knows where it could go.

 

[Cmarsh]

The prospect of a women's game of Australia Vs Ireland played under AFL rules is pretty awesome.

‘It’s something we should look at’: Dillon puts State of Origin back on the AFL’s agenda

The AFL seemed to have given up hope of a State of Origin of its own, but new CEO Andrew Dillon has different ideas. He wants to see the best face off against the best in the AFL and AFLW.

www.google.com

"AFLW players could represent Australia in a match against Irish-born AFLW players, with 35 Irish players already on club lists, or play their own State of Origin match, particularly with a national draft to be introduced next year. Given the number of Irish players in the AFLW, they could play a test match under AFL rules rather than the hybrid rules that have been written for international rules matches between the two countries."

 

[RUNVS]

I think we both live in Syd and know how fickle NSW sports fans are with live sports.

It took the Swans 20 years to create the cultural change to get them to their current amazing point. Queensland teams are still 10 years behind where the Swans are and GWS is prob another 5 years behind.

Build a carnival atmosphere and sell out at a 10k Wagga stadium as a test and then who knows where it could go.

The good thing for the AFL in a potential NSW vs QLD game is that the NRL has already done the leg work in creating the rivalry. The AFL just needs to market it correctly. People who are somewhat interested in the AFL but don't follow it religiously will watch, especially if it is put on a TV friendly time.

 

[Philhawk]

The good thing for the AFL in a potential NSW vs QLD game is that the NRL has already done the leg work in creating the rivalry. The AFL just needs to market it correctly. People who are somewhat interested in the AFL but don't follow it religiously will watch, especially if it is put on a TV friendly time.

I like your optimism. Timing will matter. Mid season as a stand alone game (with a proper media build up as you’ve said), would be the only way it works.

Good luck weaving that into the fixture.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

I think we both live in Syd and know how fickle NSW sports fans are with live sports.

It took the Swans 20 years to create the cultural change to get them to their current amazing point. Queensland teams are still 10 years behind where the Swans are and GWS is prob another 5 years behind.

Build a carnival atmosphere and sell out at a 10k Wagga stadium as a test and then who knows where it could go.

success has a big part to play in it

Sydney are a good team. They win. Fans will go to watch. Thats the 20 years you are talking about.

Prior to 2005 their crowds were pretty ass.

 

[RUNVS]

I like your optimism. Timing will matter. Mid season as a stand alone game (with a proper media build up as you’ve said), would be the only way it works.

Good luck weaving that into the fixture.

How about once every 3 years instead of having a 22 game season we instead have an 18 game season, with a month off in the middle of the season where State of Origin can be played.

I guarantee you players would rather be playing State of Origin over simply training, especially if they are paid extra for participating.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Will clubs agree for their players to risk injury? Could have it during bye week for all teams during the middle of the season

 

[Gavin Excell]

A carnival every four years would be great.
Keeps it rare enough that players will want to take part and fans won’t be bored

Yes
This is the only way